Skip to main content

There's now one mö solar-electric velomobile on the road

By
Although velomobiles in general are a rather obscure class of vehicle, the human/solar-powered Elf is certainly one of the better-known recent examples. Inspired by its design and performance, Spanish startup evovelo recently put the finishing touches on the prototype of a similar vehicle, known as the mö. Like the Elf, it's propelled by pedal-power and/or an electric motor – and that motor is in turn powered by the sun.







The enclosed 85-kg (187-lb) tricycle seats two people side-by-side, plus it has room for things like bags of groceries or an infant seat.




Along with pedals it has a direct drive motor, the power of which can be adapted to meet legislation in different countries – it could range from 250 up to 1,500 watts. Besides receiving electricity from the rooftop photovoltaic panels, its 48V/15Ah battery pack can also be recharged via a sealed exterior charging port, or it can be removed and taken indoors to charge. According to evovelo, however, the sun should provide all the charge needed for "moderate use."
A regenerative braking system helps extend the vehicle's range, which is approximately 50 km (31 miles) in motor-only mode. Needless to say, that range can be extended if pedal-only or pedal-assist modes are used. The top electric-only speed will vary with the motor, although a top end of over 50 km/h (31 mph) is reportedly possible if it's set to 1,500 watts.
Other features include windows that fold down, a full lighting system and horn, mirrors, 20-inch composite or aluminum wheels, anti-puncture tires, and a choice or drum or disc brakes.




The designers are currently seeking beta testers for the mö, and can be contacted via the link below. Once it reaches production (hopefully later this year), the vehicle is expected to sell for around €4,500 – or about US$4,886.
Source: evovelo




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New record energy efficiency for artificial photosynthesis

By
As the world moves towards developing new avenues of renewable energy, the efficiencies of producing fuels such as hydrogen must increase to the point that they rival or exceed those of conventional energy sources to make them a viable alternative. Now researchers at Monash University in Melbourne claim to have created a solar-powered device that produces hydrogen at a world-record 22 percent efficiency, which is a significant step towards making cheap, efficient hydrogen production a reality. Efficiency records for solar-powered hydrogen production have continued to rise over the years, and much more rapidly as the technology and techniques improve. Even as late as December last year  Gizmag reported  a solar-driven hydrogen record efficiency at the time of just 12.3 percent, so this new record shows a very healthy 10 percent improvement on that and beats out the previous record of 18 percent. Splitting water using electricity to produce hydrogen and oxygen has been a...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Japanese skateboard

By
A Japanese engineer just invented a nifty new way to travel: A transporter called a “WalkCar” that’s small, light and apparently easy to use. The product is battery powered and is about the size of a laptop. And although it looks like it can hold much weight and is made from aluminum, it can apparently have as much as 265 lbs on board. VentureBeat  reported  that it can go up to 6.2 miles per hour for up to 7.4 miles. It needs three hours to charge.
Post a Comment
Read more

Study claims perovskite solar cells can recoup their energy cost within three months

By
Scientists at Northwestern University and the U.S. Department of Energy have found that perovskite cells, one of the most promising solar technologies of recent years, can repay their energy cost over 10 times faster than traditional silicon-based solar cells. The finding confirms that, once issues related to cell longevity are ironed out, perovskite cells could soon bring us solar energy on the cheap, and do so with less impact on the environment over their lifetime. Solar panel installations are doubtlessly having a positive impact on the environment, but quantifying their carbon footprint with some degree of precision – which is useful for comparing them to other means of energy production, including other renewables – is not a straightforward process. To get a more complete picture, it's important to consider not only the carbon emissions saved during the panel's operating life, but also the amount of energy that goes into materials processing, manufacture, repair, ma...
Post a Comment
Read more